Indiana
Teaching Standards and Leadership Standards
Teaching Standards
Is working with and meeting the needs of students with disabilities addressed in state teaching standards?
Three of the Indiana Developmental Standards for Educators specifically address the needs of students with disabilities.
Standard 1: Student Development and Diversity. Teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student development and diversity and demonstrate the ability to provide instruction that is responsive to student differences and that promotes development and learning for all students, including: knowledge of types of exceptionalities, including high ability and twice exceptional; their characteristics; and their implications for development, teaching, and learning; and the ability to use this knowledge to promote learning and development for students with exceptionalities.
Standard 3: Instructional Planning and Delivery. Teacher have a broad comprehensive understanding of instructional planning and delivery and demonstrate the ability to plan and deliver standards-based, data-driven differentiated instruction that engages students, makes effective use of contemporary tools and technologies, and helps all student achieve learning goals, including: the ability to differentiate instruction based on student characteristics and needs and to monitor and adapt lessons to ensure rigorous learning and success for all students, including English Learners and students with exceptional needs, including high ability and twice exceptional.
Standard 4: Assessment. Teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of assessment principles and practices and demonstrate the ability to use assessment to monitor student progress and to use data to guide instructional decision making, including: the ability to adapt assessments for all students, including English Learners and students with exceptionalities, including high ability and twice exceptional.
Source: Indiana Department of Education (IDE), Indiana Developmental and Content Standards for Educators
School Leadership Standards
Is knowledge of working with students with disabilities included in leader standards?
The state’s School Leader-Building Level Standards require knowledge of working with students with disabilities. Standard 2: Instructional Leadership addresses “ensuring the use of practices with proven effectiveness in promoting academic success for students with diverse characteristics and needs, including English Learners and students with exceptionalities, including high-ability and twice exceptional students.”
Source: IDE, Indiana Developmental and Content Standards for Educators
Teacher and Principal Preparation
Teacher Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Required course work in teaching students with disabilities/diverse learners
Elementary teachers must complete an education program and pedagogy, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Differentiation of instruction and teaching methods, including methods for teaching English as a new language and students with exceptional needs, designed to maximize student engagement; and (2) Psychology of child development, including, but not limited to, the development of exceptional needs students.
Secondary teachers must complete a professional education and pedagogy including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Differentiation of instruction and teaching methods, including methods for teaching English as a new language and students with exceptional needs, designed to maximize student engagement; and (2) Psychology of child development including, but not limited to, the development of exceptional needs students.
Source: 515 Indiana Administrative Code (I.A.C.) 8-1-1.4 and 8-1-1.6
Clinical time in diverse settings/teaching special populations
Elementary education candidates must complete at least nine weeks of full-time student teaching in the later stages of the undergraduate program. Attention must be given to cognitive, affective and psychomotor facets of education and to both individual and group processes of teaching. Every effort shall be made to include experiences in education of minority groups and students with disabilities.
Junior high/middle school education candidates must complete laboratory experiences that are specific and continuing pre-student teaching field experiences beginning as early as possible in the teacher preparation program. Candidates must also complete at least nine weeks of full-time student teaching in a junior high and/or middle school in the later stages of the undergraduate program and be sponsored by the teacher education institution. Attention to be given to cognitive, affective and psychomotor facets of education and to both individual and group processes of teaching. Every effort shall be made to include experiences in education of minority groups and students with disabilities.
Secondary school education candidates always include laboratory experiences consisting of specific and continuing pre-student teaching field experiences beginning as soon as possible in the teacher preparation program and at least nine weeks of full-time student teaching in the secondary school in the subject area of the candidates major.
Senior high, junior high and middle school education candidates laboratory or field experiences shall be initiated as soon as possible and continue throughout the student’s program of preparation. The professional component must always include at least ten weeks of full-time student teaching in the later stages of the undergraduate program and be sponsored by the teacher education institution.
Source: 515 I.A.C. 1-1-3, 1-1-5, 1-1-6 and 1-1-7
Teacher Preparation – Accountability
Quality of teacher preparation programs
The state of Indiana collects objective, program-specific data to ensure the quality of teacher preparation programs. Indiana requires programs to collect and report program-performance data, including: scores on content and pedagogy tests; the average number of times each program completer takes a licensing test before receiving a passing score; the percentage of teacher candidates who receive a passing score on the first attempt; the attrition, retention and completion rates of candidates; and the percentage of graduates who obtain full-time and part-time teaching positions and the names of their employers. By July 2016, the state will establish a rating system for teacher preparation programs based on their performance as demonstrated by data from the last three years.
Source: National Council on Teacher Quality, 2014 State Teacher Policy Yearbook
Principal Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Required course work in leading a school/district that serves students with disabilities/diverse learners
Our state policy analysis did not identify any required coursework for prospective school administrators in leading a school/district that serves students with disabilities.
Source: 515 I.A.C. 8-1-40
Principal Preparation – Accountability
Are programs reviewed based on outcomes of graduates’ success? Can school principals be linked back to institutions of higher education and preparation programs?
The state of Indiana does not appear to have an accountability system for principal preparation programs.
Teacher and Principal Certification/Licensure
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Structure
Is a specific certificate, license or endorsement related to special education required?
The state of Indiana offers both K-12 and grade-specific special education certification.
Source: National Council on Teacher Quality, 2014 State Teacher Policy Yearbook
Teacher Certification – Examination
Does the state require teachers to pass a basic skills exam for initial certification? What are the pass rates on the exams? Does the state require Praxis II or more pedagogical assessment for licensure? Does it include anything about teaching diverse learners or special populations?
Teacher candidates or those wishing to become certified must take The Praxis Series tests. Prior to entering a teacher education program candidates may be required to take the Praxis I. Teacher candidates must take the appropriate Praxis II tests for each area of certification they seek. Our initial policy scan did not generate information about required examination regarding teaching diverse learners or special populations.
Source: ETS, Indiana Test Requirements
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is professional development around working with special populations required to move from initial to a professional license?
Indiana does not appear to require such professional development. State regulations outline various residency and professional development options to move from an initial practitioner to a practitioner license, but do not articulate required training around working with special student populations.
Source: 511 I.A.C. 10.1, Teacher Training and Licensing
Principal Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is prior teaching experience required to become a principal and/or a superintendent? Is specific coursework or other evidence required around working with special populations?
The state of Indiana requires school leaders to obtain a master degree, have prior teaching experience, complete a state-approved preparation program, and pass a test.
Principals: Candidates must have a professional license in early childhood, kindergarten-primary, elementary or junior high/middle school education and complete a minimum of 45 semester hours of graduate credit at a regionally accredited teacher preparation institution. Candidates must also receive recommendation from the accredited institution where the approved qualifying program was completed.
Superintendents: Candidates must have a professional license in early childhood, kindergarten-primary, elementary, junior high/middle school, secondary or all grade education, a specialist in education degree and equivalent degree or a higher degree from a regionally accredited institution. Candidates must also complete specified graduate work in administration and must be recommended by the accredited institution where the approved qualifying program was completed.
Sources:
511 I.A.C. 14, Initial Practitioner and Practitioner Licenses
George W. Bush Institute, Operating in the Dark
Teacher and Principal Induction
Teacher Induction
Is mentoring required for all new teachers and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically address teaching diverse learners?
State policy does not require all new teachers to receive induction support. The Indiana Mentor and Assessment Program (IMAP) utilizes building-level administrators who are responsible for both assessing a beginning teacher’s effectiveness and developing his or her professional improvement plan. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, schools “may develop and implement a beginning teacher residency program.” Initial practitioner license holders may participate in a residency program as one route to move to a practitioner license.
Sources:
New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
511 I.A.C. 14, Initial Practitioner and Practitioner Licenses
Principal Induction
Is coaching/mentoring required for all new principals/administrators/ superintendents and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically serving diverse learners?
State policy does not require all new school administrators to receive induction support. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, schools “may develop and implement…a beginning building level administrator residency program.” Administrators may participate in such a residency program as one route to obtain advanced licensure.
Sources:
New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
511 I.A.C. 14, Initial Practitioner and Practitioner Licenses
Teacher and Principal Professional Development Standards
Teacher Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for teacher PD?
Our state policy analysis suggests that Indiana has not adopted standards for teacher professional development.
Principal Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for leadership PD?
Our state policy analysis suggests that Indiana has not adopted standards for principal professional development.